After five weeks of gas price increases, prices in L.A. stayed constant while much of Southern California saw price dips, a sign gas costs have crested, said the Automobile Club of Southern California.

Grand jury in L.A. subpoenas Home Depot in a hazardous waste investigation, 20th Century Fox adopts the Blu-Ray standard for DVDs, Nara hires a CFO and Activision signs a licensing deal with Marvel Comics.

Population growth in L.A. County is slowing as more people move to the Inland Empire, yet the Los Angeles metropolitan area is still the biggest growth engine in the country, according to a new report.

Online music provider Napster Inc. and XM Satellite Radio announced a deal today that will allow the radio networks' four million subscribers to purchase what they hear on the satellite network from Napster.

Monday, July 25

L.A. companies hauled in $253.9 million in venture capital funding in the second quarter, a 14.2 percent increase from a year ago, and the largest amount raised in two years, according to a new survey.

Declining crude futures helped gas prices in the L.A. area fall for the first time in five weeks, following their recent shoot up after a two-month cooling-off period, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Team executives are preparing a marketing effort to bring back fans, including doubling the number of $10 seats, increasing all-inclusive ticket packages, and offering chances to meet players off the ice.

Occidental Petroleum Corp. gets approval to construct a $600 million liquefied natural gas tank in Texas, DirecTV Group Inc. extends its reach to ethnic audiences, and other briefs about L.A. companies.

Despite rising energy prices and fears of a housing slowdown, an increase in nonfarm jobs is expected and the manufacturing sector continues to expand, said a pair of economic reports released Tuesday.

Monday, July 18

Diodes Inc. is basking in the limelight, having been ranked No. 10 on Fortune Magazine's fastest-growing companies list, No. 28 on BusinessWeek's Top 100 small companies list, and No. 45 among Business 2.0's fastest-growing tech companies.

U.S. consumer sentiment rose to its highest level in a year in early July as gains in the stock market and better hiring conditions offset the drag from record gasoline prices, a report said on Friday.

CNOOC Ltd. gave its executives approval to increase its $18.5 billion bid for Unocal and agreed to pay Unocal's shareholders up to a $2.5 billion penalty if it can't close the deal, news reports said Thursday.

Three days after professional poker player Doyle Brunson launched a $700 million bid for WPT Enterprises Inc., the L.A.-based owner of the World Poker Tour TV show said Monday it is unable to substantiate the credibility of the offer.

99 Cents Only Stores reports same-store sales fell for the second quarter, Magnetek says it expects break-even earnings from continuing operations in its fourth-quarter, and other briefs about L.A. companies.

Two days after Gov. Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders hammered out a budget deal, the state Legislature on Thursday passed a $117.5 billion state budget with lopsided majority votes and little debate.

Visitors to Los Angeles County hotels paid an average of $133.67 to spend a night in a hotel room in May, an 8 percent increase from one year earlier and 5 percent higher than the $126.87 average in April.

With oil hovering near $60 a barrel, gas prices in the L.A. area moved higher for the third straight week the first time that has happened since mid-April, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Andrew Demetriou, head of corporate banking and business at Fulbright and Jaworski LLP, said there are a few details that entrepreneurs should keep in mind when it comes time to sign a contract with a major player.

Why is the chairman of the Getty Trust signing off on Barry Munitz's spending sprees, which include routine first-class travel around the world for he and his wife and a $72,000 Porsche Cayenne that the Getty bought him?

With the holiday weekend here, gas prices rose for the second week in a row after a nine-week decline in the L.A. and Southern California region, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.